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The game in the Fintech arena has changed amongst the card replacement providers. Coin’s earlier version has not been a great success with card failing at counters and customers complaining about failures at the moment supreme. A bit unexpected Coin has released Coin 2.0 which should address some of these problems and also should beat Plastc Card which still has to be released.

In general what do these devices do? They basically let you copy your current card onto their cards making it a multi-card device. The cards are able to erase and rewrite the cards with the technology provided. It is essential to understand that they just copy your card and you do not have to throw away your cards. In fact, for testing purposes you can carry your original cards with you to prevent that you rely too much on this technology.

We have been monitoring both cards and want to share the main findings on these cards with you. For questions please comment in the section below.

Please note that Coin 2.0 can only be used in the US and later will be supported overseas. Plastc can be used outside the US.

Coin 2.0 vs Plastc

GeneralCoin 2.0 and Plastc claim to replace most of your card in your wallet. What is the biggest difference?

Plastc cardPlastc card is a credit card sized piece of technology that can store up to 20 cards through the provided hardware (card reader) that works with your phone. The card and your phone communicate through bluetooth technology. The Plastc card has an e-ink screen that you can use to swipe through your cards and allow you to sort them under a category as loyalty cards or credit cards. The Plastc card can store card that work with a magnetic strip, contactless (NFC)*, barcodes and through Chip (EMV)*.

*EMV will be supported through an over the air update shortly after launch.

Coin 2.0Coin is a credit card sided piece of technology that can store up to 8 cards through provided hardware that you should connect to your phone. Through the hardware and software you can then copy cards which are sent to the coin card. Cards can be accessed through an e-paper screen. By pushing a button on the card you can scroll through your cards. Coin 2.0 supports magnetic strip and contactless payment (NFC).

SecurityWhat security features does each of the card have to keep your data safe? the last thing that we want is to loose our data and let it be accessible from any

Plastc Card securityPlastc card has got a pin code before you can access the menu of your Plastc card. This pincode prevents unauthorized persons to access your cards. Plastc card has got proximity alert. When your phone and card are separated the card will be locked and cannot be used. Once the card is nearby your phone you can use it again. The proximity can be adjusted in app to your needs. In case your card is lost or stolen you can setup a remote wipe function from an hour up to several days. When your card does not connect with your phone it will erase itself. Once connected with your phone it will restore data fetching it from your app.

A nice feature is face recognition through the Plastc card app. With the camera on your phone you are able to identify yourself through face recognition and use your card.

In case the battery of your card runs out of energy the card will move into emergency mode. Emergency mode installs the preferred card (e.g prefered personal creditcard) onto the card so you will always be able to at least use one card. Last but not least you can lock your card when handing it out to a merchant. The card will only show the last four digits of your credit card making it invisible and impossible for others to misuse.

Coin 2.0 security

The security on the Coin 2.0 is high. After each use the card is locked and can be unlocked using a tap code, a kind of morse code with long and short pressing of the main button. Your card is always blocked after each use and the app keeps track of the last location of your card making it easier to find. If you want to block your card you can only reactivate your card through the contact center.

BatteryWhat battery life do these cards have and what should we be aware of?

Plastc card batteryPlastc card comes with wireless charging. Each charge will keep your Plastc card up and running for about 30 days. Plastc provides you with a power mat to place your card on so it will charge.

Coin 2.0 batteryCoin 2.0 comes with a battery that should last for at least two years with an average usage of the card for 5 times a day. Once the battery is empty you need to replace your card. This means you should replace the card at least every two years.

AppsWhat features do the apps of both cards have and what can we do with them?

Plastc card app (Plastc Wallet)Through Plastc Wallet, the Plastc card app, you are able to manage your cards and link them to your bank (not all banks supported). The app also acts as a personal finance management map letting you manage all your accounts through Plastc Wallet. The app is free for life until April 29th 2016 and will cost $50 a year after that date. The card will then cost $180 and comes with a two year subscription.

Coin 2.0 appWith the coin app you can manage your cards, add and delete cards and even block the card. The card seems to be linked to Coin itself as they are able to block or unblock your card. It is a simple card manager to add and delete cards.

Final verdictBoth cards have entered the fintech arena and are competing against each other and the technology providers like Apple and Samsung who include NFC payment possibilities through their phone. Coin 2.0 is available now and you can use it directly but has it’s limitations. No chip support and only NFC. NFC is limited to small payments making the coin useless when making larger payments at stores. Also Coin can only be used in the US or at your own risk in other countries. Also to have it replaced every two years is a bit of a disappointment. They are rapidly developing and we are expecting a Coin 3.0. If they support more methods it can be a challenger.

Plastc card has almost everything covered, on paper! Assuming that everything is going to work this is the best deal you can get. All payment methods are supported, you can use it globally, store up to 20 cards and you can recharge your battery. Doing the easy math a coin 2.0 card would cost you $248,- every four years and a Plast card including the Plastc Wallet functionality would cost you $280,- when paying the full price for both. Buy Plastc before April 29th 2016 would cost you just $155,- ($135 with our Plastc card discount code) for life.

We would definitely go for Plastc card, but you have to be patient. It is still not ready yet and has been delayed just like a lot of crowd funding projects do.

Taking into account the costs of the cards there is a lot of gadget value in it. Do the cost bring the value? We would say yes, based on having a sleek card in your wallet and the additional security on your cards. But keep in mind that Apple Pay and Google Wallet are here to disrupt this market.

If you don’t want to be patient and want to be the man with a new piece of technology Coin 2.0 is just it.

Plastc Card can be bought through Plastc’s website, use our link below to get your personal discount code.

<<Link Expired>> Please find a new link in the latest post. Check this link

Did you know that the E-reader screen can display your photo for credit card verification? And that you can lock the card so it will only display the last four digits of your card? Thats what we call security!

Coin 2.0 is the challenger for Plastc. Coin can hold 8 cards and has a magnetic strip that can be rewritten. Also NFC is supported on this card. Coin 2.0 is the upgraded version of Coin which had some problems. Big ups for Coin to release a 2.0 version at such speed. Coin owners can replace their old Coin cards for a Coin 2.0 card. As a Plastc challenger we have to admit that Plastc is still in development phase while Coin 2.0 is now delivering. Cant wait to throw away your cards? Coin 2.0 is a good option.